The Osceola times., 1887-04-23
LIFE IN MEXICO.
Some Of the Queer Characters to be seen
on the streets OF Mexican Cities

Some Of the Queer Characters TO he seen
ON the streets OF Mexican Cities.
In no other country, in no other city
can be seen as in Mexico such close
iuxtaposition of splendor and squalor'
of progress and semi-barbarism' oi po-
tential wealth and actual poverty OF
the old and the new, the high and the
low. of culture and abject ignorance.
On the upper levels of a house may i've
a family in opulent circumstances en-
dowed with all the graces, material ana
spiritual of aristocracy and refinement,
while the ground floor is given up to
petty shops, work-rooms, perhaps
cheap restaurant, or that most undeslr-
able of neighbors, pn'quertd, where
the lower classes resort to befuddle
themselves with the whey-colored
Juice of the maguey. Rubbing her
grimy elbows against the rich laces
and silks of the proudest and most
aristocratic of fashionable DANES may
be seen the brown Indian woman, frow-
sy headed. with basket Of fruit or fish
upon her head. and another in her arms,
while child is strapped TO her by
means of the tightly knotted blanket.
She is barefoot, and her sole raimcnt,
besides the huipH aforesaid, which is a
bit of narrow blanket, perhaps a yard
and half long, with slit in the CEN
ter to 90 over the head, is brief scant
skirt, like a bag, of the same coarse,
dark fabric The hdpili is the upper
garment worn by the Aztec women at
the time of the conquest, and 1t sull
obtains with the lower orders in the
south Of Mexico. being also used for a
robe de chdmJre or n night dress, made
of linen and ornate in finish. by the
ladies of Yucatan.
The lottery ticket sellers in Mexico
are n strong guild, for the business is
, profitable one. The lotteries are con-
J,,ct,l by the Government, and the
N,Let.ye,., .,dcrs are paid liberal per-
centsge Of their sales, Men, women
aud Children re, ,,ruit the ranks; they
are fouRa everywliel.' lhey nave no
distinctive features, sn.le the great
budget Of hnsy, transluce,- 'l'he'' ~
wmGi. 'hey try to force upon the J. ''SeI, !,
by. and theif scissors for cutting a.
coupons. Several prominent journals
Of the United States have lately printed
the remarkable statement that 'an the
newsboys OF Mexico are women, who
never cry their papers, but silently hold
them toward the passer. The chron-
icler Of that error had in mind these
sellefs Of lottery tickets, the large
printed sheets of which do somewhat
resemble newspapers. " is safe to
gamble on" the proposition that
there is not woman peddling ness'
papers in Mexico The newsboys are
men and lads who cry their papers
and suggestion of their contents
with true professional yells. They
urge their wares pertinaciously, thrust
ing them through the windows Of
coaches and tramears and invading
the latter if they can elude the conduc-
tors vigilance. The aguadores or pub
lie water-carriers are picturesque and
characteristic sights. They wear a
species Of leather harness, breast-plate.
back-shield and apron, and fiat cap
usually of straw served with leather.
On the back, suspended by broad
leather band crossing the forehead
rests an earthern jar with three ham
dies, odd in shape, called a ch0chocol,
and from another strap farther back
on the head depends the jarrd, another
earthenware vessel shaped like pitch
er. In these utensils is carried from
| the public fountains water for domestic
use in such houses as have no piped
water supply. 1t is noticeable that
these men all have flattened heads, as
may well be, when their craniums are
subjected TO almost constant pressure
and the weight Of some ten gallons of
water.-Clty Of Merico Cor San Fran
cisco Chronicle.